Desperation Chapter 3
by Temper28
Summary: Sherlock goes to confront Lestrade, and to redeem his name and prove his innocence, but finds an odd woman and promises he'd solve her problem that just might be linked to another crime Lestrade mentioned to him earlier. first- /s/9451565/1/Desperation-Chapter-1 Last - /s/9451724/1/Desperation-Chapter-2


Chapter 3

John and Sherlock walked down the streets of London for a ways until finally John stopped and signaled a cab.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Sherlock asked grabbing Johns shoulder.

"Sherlock, we're not going to walk all way to Scotland Yard!" John said whipping around.

He took Sherlock's sleeve and pulled it towards the direction of the cab. Sherlock harrumphed. "Fine, if it makes you feel better."

They both hopped into the cab.

"Why didn't want to take a cab?" Asked John settling his position in his seat.

"Old demons John, I am a bit more skeptical then usual."

"More than usual? I didn't think that was possible." John said rolling his eyes and turning his attention to the window.

They arrived at the front of the 12 story glass walled building. Sherlock, looking a little paler than usual. He takes an uncertain step forward.

"John, give me your hat, mine will be recognized here."

John gives his hat over and Sherlock slips it on and secures it to his head. He flips his shoulder flaps up and looks at the ground as he walks towards the building.

"Sergeant, any new developments on the phone case?" Lestrade shouts to Sergeant Donovan. "Nothing yet sir." She replies.

Sgt. Donovan's desk phone blares; she picks it up and after a second or two holds it out to Lestrade. "It's for you sir." She adds.

Lestrade takes it. "Make it quick I have a hundred things going on." He says. Moments later his eyes widen. He puts the phone back and rushes to his office. He opens the door to find a tall man with a black trench coat and what appeared to be black curly hair and a small tan paper-boy hat, looking out the window away form him.

"Did you really believe them? That I was a fraud Lestrade?" Asked the mysterious man.

"Sherlock?" said a shocked Lestrade. The man turned to reveal his face.

"Evening officer." Sherlock said grabbing his hat off of his head.

Lestrade, still shocked, said nothing, he stood there.

Lestrade pulls out his pistol and points it straight at Sherlocks chest.

"You're a convicted felon that is supposed to be dead, what the HELL are you doing here?"

"You'd be surprised how clever I can be for a 'convicted felon'. I came to redeem my name officer."

"Okay, fire away, but be quick!" Lestrade said lowering his gun a bit.

"How could I have plotted all those murders? I couldn't have, there were murders that I wasn't involved in that you brought my attention to. I am simply observant."

"Well than why in the wide wide world would you convince everyone that you were a lie on the edge?" Lestrade asked crossing the room and sitting in his chair, offering Sherlock the seat across form his desk.

"Because, if I didn't die in disgrace, then my friends would all die, also I had to convince everyone I was dead, so dying as a fraud would mean no one would come looking for me." Sherlock said sitting down.

After a while Sherlock came out of Lestrade's office, with a normal old Sherlock look on his face. Sherlock didn't catch Sgt. Donovan's eye until he was almost out the door. Donavan freaked out, grabbing her pistol and running up to the doorway.

"Freeze! Freak, what are you doing here, aren't you dead? Or do you just look like him?" She said in a commanding voice filled with fright.

"Looks like whom, Sgt. Donovan?" Sherlock said turning around with a smirk on his face.

"Stand down Sergeant!" commanded Lestrade.

"But sir, this lunatic is… alive, and free!" Responded Donovan.

"I'll explain everything to you later!" Said Lestrade. "Just let him go."

Sherlock turned and walked out of the office. When he reached the front desk, a woman seemed to be having a fit about something. He didn't think it relevant until he heard the words 'stolen and murdered'.

"Excuse me; are you in need of some assistance?" Sherlock said walking up to the woman.

"Yes, I was robbed…" She said looking at him.

He closely examined her. Homeless, or poor. Shaking possibly because she's on drugs or because she's scared of something, the police maybe. If she was stolen from, what would she be doing here?

"Why report a robbery to them, that's not their focus?"

"I know, but, it's not just a robbery. You see I was able to track down my robber, I found him. But when I did, all he had of mine, was my phone, everything else was missing. And, he was dead to."

Sherlocks eyebrows rose. He thought for a moment. Perhaps this was the call he was waiting for.

"I think I could be a bit of assistance." Sherlock said turning and walking out the door.

The woman looking confused pauses and than figures out that she was suppose to be following him and runs after him. Sherlock, without saying a word, calls a cab and hops in.

"If you want to figure out what happened or if you want to find your stolen possessions, I recommend you follow me." He said hold the door open for her.

Another person came up and opened the door. He swung around and into the cab.

"Ah, just in time Watson." Sherlock said.

The woman still looking confused, sat down in the cab and closed the door. She then looked over at the other two who seemed to know each other.

"So your not just another random person he dragged away?" The woman asked to Watson.

"No, I joined voluntarily, well more or less." Watson said, he reached his hand out to her. "John Watson, nice to meet you."

"Lilian Burns, Pleasure." She said, shaking his extended his hand. "So your used to this? Just having him abduct random strangers off the street? Oh what am I saying, of course you are." The woman said, staring out the window.

John looked slightly confused as to how she knew that. But he exited the thought quickly. The cab drive home was silent. Once the cab came up to the front of the door marked 221B, Sherlock sprung out of the cab and towards the flat. As he opened the door, Lilian stopped him.

"I still don't know you!"

Sherlock looked at John, who was staring at him with a 'Don't tell her Sherlock' look.

"The name is Sherlock Holmes. Now come on so we can solve this case already!" Sherlock said rushing inside.

"He's the great Sherlock Holmes? But isn't he dead?" Lilian asked turning to John.

John put his hands up in front of him looking down to the ground.

"It's a long story…" John said back.

Lilian made her way up to the flat where john anxiously followed behind her. She stepped in to be greeted by hands around hers. Sherlock had grabbed her and swirled around the room with her, then hugged her.

"What the Hell was that for?" She asked now trembling.

"You brought a first case to my attention, call it gratitude. Back at Scotland Yard, you were shaking; I wanted to see if you kept steady in a scarce moment. The trembling suggests you can't. So, why do you tremble?" Sherlock asked now standing tall and proud in front of the shaking lady.

"Why don't you figure it out, you're the great Sherlock Holmes aren't you? Well examine me, tell me my life's story, then it should be easy shouldn't it?" Lilian said in a bit of rage.

"Well I have about a million different guesses but I want to hear your side of the story for once. I am studying how people react now, to understand different people's psyches."

He said.

"You want me to deduce something about you, then fine, you have it coming."

He paused.

"Your not dressed in very average clothes, you have fixed your own and can't afford another outfit because your either poor or homeless, more likely homeless. You tailored your own clothes, which means your hands are steady, most likely you had doctor training, but something's stopping you from it, your tremble… That's what I'm stuck on, you trembled because you were scared. But of what? Me? The police? And if it wasn't being scared of something, then is it that you're on drugs, it can't be that because… Oh… I see."

He stopped his eyes wide and a smirk held on his face. He turned around and got back to thinking.

"Wait, what? What did you just, I mean… you got some of it right, but I wonder why you're stuck on me being scared, hmm? "

Lilian stared at him as if it was obvious.

"I get it now, your homeless, but was saving money so you could write. You're an author of understanding the mind and its sentiment. The book just came on the market, I saw it. You're a proper Genius too! But in a different way, you sense emotion. I use logic."

Sherlock got to his conclusion.

"That's why I couldn't read as much off you as I do others, and I thought for a homeless person that you were unusually hard to read."

"I have that effect on people. You have the fastest time for figuring out I'm a freak. Are you going to throw me out now like everyone else did?" She asked.

"Of course not, you're the missing half of my deductions; you'll help me solve cases even faster. You'll definitely help us a lot!" Sherlock said examining a skull.

"So I'm just here to solve cases for you?"

"No, no, not at all, your just here to help me and extra company is always nice."

Lilian sighed. "Okay whatever, but where am I going to sleep?"

"Mmm, the couch!"

"Ok…" Lilian said, she walked over to the couch and sat down.

"So what's the first step towards finding my lost stuff ?"

"Sherlock is find, and nothing."

"Nothing? But I thought that's why you brought me here?"

"Oh it is. I was up with Lestrade and he briefed me on a new case. The telephone murderer apparently, when he kills, they die with their phones in their hands. You said this man was found without anything but your phone right? Well they have to be connected, how many other people do you know who dies with their phones in their hands?"

"Well then, you really are a sociopath aren't you? You were almost completely unreadable before, but you suddenly got excited about a murder. You get excited and you open up a little." Lilian said. She stood up and walked over to Sherlock, she stared into his eyes and got closer. "Your eyes are remarkably beautiful." She quietly said.

Sherlock backed off. "I prefer to get on with the case thank you."

"Hmmm, you were nervous. I'm guessing you haven't felt the feeling of love let alone had a lover before huh?" Lilian asked looking deviously at him.

Sherlock looked at her suspiciously; he hadn't been read like that before.

"Hmm… Your eyes dilated and your pulse elevated, you also stood completely still with your arms hanging like rocks at your side. Lets see here… you were just like John weren't you?"

"Pardon?" Sherlock stared at Lilian, surprised at her diligence.

"You were here in London, couldn't afford your flat because you never got paid for many of the cases you solved, even so, you still managed by the ones who did pay you, barely. Your parents are both gone, most likely at a young age, and you refuse to go to your brother for help because after he pays for three or for of your rent bills you would become another pawn in the British government. That's what you try to avoid, that's why you almost never take the cases your brother puts you to because you play by your own rules. You believe in higher power and bend the rules that the government laid out for you because you are your own rules because they don't understand the depth of your job and the ways you must accomplish. But to please your brother and to gain favors and more power you work with Scotland Yard, plus to you its good fun!" Lilian turned to Watson.

"Was I spot on?"


End file.
